Kitchee takes on familiar faces in premier league

Riding on its promising early-season form, Kitchee will head to Tsing Yi Sports Ground on Saturday afternoon for a premier league battle against Lee Man Rangers. The game will start at 5:30pm and Kitchee fans are encouraged to travel in flocks to support the team. Kitchee currently occupies the top spot in the premier league table, after winning its first three league games to start the season. However, major rivals such as Eastern Long Lions and South China are hot on its tail, therefore the Blues will try to keep things going and to maintain its leading position in the premier league chart. An interesting note, of the seven premier league goals that Kitchee has scored so far this season, five of them came after the 85th minute mark, indicating the once-smooth operating Kitchee attack is still a work in progress this season. It remains to be seen whether the side can improve this time around against Lee Man Rangers. In the opposing camp, former Kitchee fan favorites Jorge Tarres and Fernando Recio have been loaned out to Lee Man Rangers this season and will be eager to prove themselves against Kitchee. Make no mistake about it, Kitchee players will be highly on guard against the dynamic duo. Striker Rufino Segovia is glad to see Kitchee currently leading the premier league but warns it is still early in the season and the team needs to stay focused. “Lee Man Rangers is a very difficult side to face. They have quality foreigners such as Jordi (Jorge Tarres), Nando (Fernando Recio) and Clayton Afonso, as well as some fine local players. This is definitely a side that we cannot take lightly,” the Kitchee goal-machine cautions. “We need to keep playing the Kitchee way, pass-and-move even though we are playing away, so that we can create more space for our attack. If we can do just that, then I certainly fancy our chances of collecting maximum points this weekend.” Full-back Daniel Cancela believes Lee Man Rangers have proven themselves to be respectable opponent in the early season and singles out former Kitchee players as the major threats this weekend. “We will come up against some very familiar faces on Saturday. They have already proven to be exceptional players but will be eager to put one over us this weekend, hoping to showcase their own worth in the process,” explains the veteran. “I have played with Jordi (Jorge Tarres) in Kitchee for many years and I know he plays a very smart game with an excellent first touch. His presence plays a huge role in Lee Man Rangers’ counter-attack and we need to be on guard for that.”